Spicy Tomato Dip ( Acili Antep Ezmesi)

Tags

acili ezme, Antep ezme, meze, mezze, spicy tomato dip with walnut

Spicy tomato dip is very famous starter in south east of Turkey. Most of the restaurants menu provide this delicious meze to accompany Raki ( very similiar Greek drink Uzo ).

Serves 4 people

1 medium onion

1 celeriac

1 large red bell paper

1 large cucumber

3-4 tomatoes chopped very finely

2 garlic cloves

1/2 lemon

A big bunch of parsley

1 full tbsp tomato paste

1 full tbsp pepper paste ( I prefer extra hot one)

3-4 tbsp virgin olive oil

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

1/4  tbsp ground cumin

black pepper and salt to taste

100 gr crushed walnut (optional)

Remove the skin (plunge them in boiling water for a minute and then cold water and it’ll come off easy) from your tomatoes and de-seed them.

Chop them up as finely as you possibly can

without them turning to mush. This bit must be done by hand.

Grate or whiz in your food processor (do not puree) the cucumber, pepper, onion, chillies, celeriac and squeeze out any excess water then add parsley as finely as you can and add them to your chopped tomatoes.

Add mint, oil, lemon juice, pomegranate, cumin, pepper paste, tomato puree and salt and mix it all up. You can add more lemon juice or oil to your own taste.

Cover it up and  put it in the fridge and rest for 2 hours before you serve so all the ingredients blend perfectly.

Antep ezmesi is great as a starter with fresh bread or pitta and you can serve it with barbecue meat, chicken as well.

Afiyet Olsun (Bon Apetit)

Patates Salatasi (Potato Salad with roasted peppers, olives and oregano)

Tags

mezze, new potato salad, patates salatasi

This salad is very aromatic and also colorful, taking its flavours from garlic, cumin and oregano that covers so many hills in Western Anatolia.

4- 5 medium salad potatoes ( Jersey or new potatoes) boiled in salty water and peeled and cut in 2 cm cubic chunks.

1 roasted red bell paper

150 gr feta cheese in chunks

8- 10 black or green olives of your choice

1 tsp fresh or dry oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

juice of 1/2 lemon

3-4 tbsp extra virgin oil

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 medium size onion thinly sliced

Piyaz ( Haricot bean salad )

Tags

haricot bean salad, inegol kofte, turkish, turkish side dish

This salad is popular as a side dish for Inegol kofte in Izmir near Mimar Kemallettin Caddesi where office people eat lunch break. In UK is made with canned beans but you can soak dried beans overnight in cold water and rinse them before cooking in plenty of fresh water.

Serves 4

1 large can of haricot or cannalini beans

2 ripe wine tomatoes, chopped small

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 hard boiled eggs ( optional)

3 tbsp chopped parsley

10-12 black olives, with stones

3 tbsp cider vinegar

4 or more tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sumak or half a limon (optional)

salt to taste

Drain and rinse the beans, Mix vinegar, olive oil, salt and paprika in a large bowl. Add the beans and toss with the dressing. Cover and stir once in a while so the beans absorbs all the marinade. Add the tomatoes, onions and parsley and mix well. Garnish with the olives and eggs, sliced or quartered. Season with sumak or lemon and salt to taste.

Afiyet Olsun (Bon Apetite)